I apologize, but I’m not the best to explain it, particularly to the specifics of Buddhist meditation. But really, mediation is a catchall for any sort of mental discipline or conditioning. Like practicing mindfulness or simply maintaining a state of calmness, right?
What OP asked specifically about is samatha and vipassana, which are forms of meditation from buddhist teachings. They’re inherently buddhist. Samatha is itself not particularly offensive; it’s basically a technique for mindfulness and focus. But vipassana? it’s the pursuit of enlightnement through meditation and gaining insight into ‘reality’.
I’m not particularly surprised by the OP reporting the encounters with “spirits”. Deep meditation places you into an altered mental not entirely unlike that of psilocybin. Except meditation is lighter, doesn’t last as long, and one has more control of where one’s experiences go while on the trip.
I have no reason to believe the OP’s encounters with spirits was anything other than their brain falling into an altered state and doing what it could to oblige their beliefs and expectations. not like I can very well interact with their spirits in any meaningfully or tangible way.
People’s brains convincing them something stranger has happened isn’t actually all that strange.
Neither is people just making shit up.
Until I have a reason- tangible evidence- for a thing, I’m going to stay skeptical.
Edit:
To put this another way, if I indulge this, then I’d have to also indulge Mike Johnson’s insistence god told him he’s the second coming of Moses. Do you see the harm there?
So, going back to Mike Johnson, he’s a US lawmaker- the speaker of the house, and 3rd in line for what used to be one of the most powerful and influential positions in the world.
You don’t see the harm that he has voices in his head telling him he’s some kind of salvation figure (moses) liberating his people (evangelical christsians) from persecution (that isn’t happening.) making some very fucked up policies because of all the other shit the voices in his head are saying?
I prefer my policies set on evidence, not the internal monologue of a madman.
You’re welcome to believe what you want, but that doesn’t mean I have to indulge anything. And to be blunt, I have no more reason to believe spirits come and talk to you than Mike Johnson is sent by god. (even if I do wish he’d go wander the desert for a few decades.)
Without evidence, I have no more reason to believe some divine being is giving Mike Johnson orders than I do to believe spirits come talk to you while you meditate.
I do have some reason to believe that, during prayer/meditation/whatever you’ve entered into a state of altered consciousness and your perceptions are not grounded in reality.
For example, Michael Persinger’s “god helmet” experiments (in which they stimulated parts of the brain and induced euphoric visions of god,)
or the work of Newberg and d’Aquili who monitored brain activity of people praying or meditating (franciscan nuns and tibetan buddhists, in particular,) showing altered brain activity.
or Roland Griffiths who dosed people with psilocybin and achieved some of the same things, while doing similar neural imaging.
or the studies of near-death experiments which have more or less conclusively demonstrated those were not “real” experiences. (they brought things into the surgical theater and later asked them to recount what they saw. Including some studies where that was the the whole point- with instructions to ‘turn around’)
In short, if you have no tangible evidence of the spirit world (and you don’t,) then I have no reason to indulge it. anything that is claimed without evidence can be equally dismissed without evidence. and personally, I think anything claimed without evidence should be dismissed.
The part that this particular form of meditation isconnected to Buddhist religious and spiritual practices.
There are perfectly secular or non-spiritual forms of meditation. This is not that.
Could you cite some information on both of those to help me understand exactly what you’re referring to?
I apologize, but I’m not the best to explain it, particularly to the specifics of Buddhist meditation. But really, mediation is a catchall for any sort of mental discipline or conditioning. Like practicing mindfulness or simply maintaining a state of calmness, right?
What OP asked specifically about is samatha and vipassana, which are forms of meditation from buddhist teachings. They’re inherently buddhist. Samatha is itself not particularly offensive; it’s basically a technique for mindfulness and focus. But vipassana? it’s the pursuit of enlightnement through meditation and gaining insight into ‘reality’.
I’m not particularly surprised by the OP reporting the encounters with “spirits”. Deep meditation places you into an altered mental not entirely unlike that of psilocybin. Except meditation is lighter, doesn’t last as long, and one has more control of where one’s experiences go while on the trip.
I have no reason to believe the OP’s encounters with spirits was anything other than their brain falling into an altered state and doing what it could to oblige their beliefs and expectations. not like I can very well interact with their spirits in any meaningfully or tangible way.
For clarity, I wasn’t really looking for an explanation of what they are — I was simply unsure exactly what you were referring to.
Why not just go with it? For conversation’s sake.
Because the world is large and we are small and stranger things have happened.
Because why should I?
People’s brains convincing them something stranger has happened isn’t actually all that strange.
Neither is people just making shit up.
Until I have a reason- tangible evidence- for a thing, I’m going to stay skeptical.
Edit: To put this another way, if I indulge this, then I’d have to also indulge Mike Johnson’s insistence god told him he’s the second coming of Moses. Do you see the harm there?
No, I do not see the harm. Lol.
So, going back to Mike Johnson, he’s a US lawmaker- the speaker of the house, and 3rd in line for what used to be one of the most powerful and influential positions in the world.
You don’t see the harm that he has voices in his head telling him he’s some kind of salvation figure (moses) liberating his people (evangelical christsians) from persecution (that isn’t happening.) making some very fucked up policies because of all the other shit the voices in his head are saying?
I prefer my policies set on evidence, not the internal monologue of a madman.
You’re welcome to believe what you want, but that doesn’t mean I have to indulge anything. And to be blunt, I have no more reason to believe spirits come and talk to you than Mike Johnson is sent by god. (even if I do wish he’d go wander the desert for a few decades.)
Your thesis amounts to mere convention.
Without evidence, I have no more reason to believe some divine being is giving Mike Johnson orders than I do to believe spirits come talk to you while you meditate.
I do have some reason to believe that, during prayer/meditation/whatever you’ve entered into a state of altered consciousness and your perceptions are not grounded in reality.
For example, Michael Persinger’s “god helmet” experiments (in which they stimulated parts of the brain and induced euphoric visions of god,)
or the work of Newberg and d’Aquili who monitored brain activity of people praying or meditating (franciscan nuns and tibetan buddhists, in particular,) showing altered brain activity.
or Roland Griffiths who dosed people with psilocybin and achieved some of the same things, while doing similar neural imaging.
or the studies of near-death experiments which have more or less conclusively demonstrated those were not “real” experiences. (they brought things into the surgical theater and later asked them to recount what they saw. Including some studies where that was the the whole point- with instructions to ‘turn around’)
In short, if you have no tangible evidence of the spirit world (and you don’t,) then I have no reason to indulge it. anything that is claimed without evidence can be equally dismissed without evidence. and personally, I think anything claimed without evidence should be dismissed.